Saturday, 7 November 2015

Recently, two friends of mine, Olívia and Inês, decided to cut and donate their hair to the Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides real hair wigs to children with cancer and other diseases that cause hair loss. I thought this was a really special and kind gesture, so the least I can do - while I don't have the courage to donate - is write about it and hopefully reach more people who are thinking of doing the same but just don't know how.

This is what you can read on the charity's website:

"We work with specialist suppliers and experienced hairdressers who offer wigs tailored to the individual child’s needs to give the most realistic look and feel, as close as possible to their original hair. We strive to put parents/guardians in contact with suppliers as local as possible."

The process is actually pretty simple, this is the information you should know before you donate:

Suitable hair types:

Clean, dry hair in good condition (no split ends) from any gender, and of any natural colour,

Immediately prior to the cut, please wash and dry your hair. Please do not send wet hair in the post as this will sadly render your kind donation unusable. Please do not add any styling product though conditioner is acceptable

Have your dried hair tied into a number of plaits or pony-tails, secured at both the root end and the tip end with an elastic band

Ask your hairdresser to cut your dried hair above the bands at the root end, thereby releasing plaits/pony-tails, tied at both ends. You can now have your hair cut further and styled (or shaved if that is your intention)

Place your dry plaits/pony-tails into a clear plastic bag (for example a freezer bag) as soon as possible after they have been cut. Place them in a padded envelope and post using a standard postal service to:

Little Princess Trust Hair Donation

Sheridan House

114-116 Western Road

HOVE BN3 1DD (UK)

If you're looking for inspiration, you can also see their gallery, which is full of pictures from courageous people who have already donated their hair. The wigs are completely free for the children and the charity will send you a certificate after they receive the donation.

The next time you think about getting an extreme makeover, you can cut your hair for a good cause! Don't forget to donate, make someone happy with a part of you!